Word Study for G988 (βλασφημία)

blasphēmía /blas-fay-me'-ah/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom βλάσφημος

Meaningvilification (especially against God)

KJV usageblasphemy, evil speaking, railing.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of blasphēmía — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word blasphēmía, represented by G988, is defined as vilification, evil speaking, or railing, especially when directed against God. It appears 19 times across 18 unique verses in the Bible. This term encompasses defamatory and impious speech, highlighting the gravity of words used to dishonor both fellow humans and, most significantly, God himself.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G988 is used in several distinct contexts. It is frequently listed among sins that believers are commanded to put away, such as in "evil speaking" that must be removed along with bitterness, wrath, and malice Ephesians 4:31. Jesus identifies blasphemies as evils that proceed from within a person's heart, alongside murders, adulteries, and thefts Matthew 15:19. The term is also used in a legal or accusatory sense, as when the scribes accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming the authority to forgive sins Mark 2:7. The ultimate expression of this concept is seen in Revelation, where the beast from the sea bears a name of blasphemy and speaks against God (Revelation 13:1, Revelation 13:6).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the scope of G988:

G987 blasphēméō (to blaspheme): This is the verb form of G988, signifying the act of vilifying or speaking impiously. It is used when the high priest accuses Jesus, declaring, "He hath spoken blasphemy" Matthew 26:65.
G2549 kakía (malice): Defined as "badness, i.e. (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity," this word is often paired with G988 as a foundational evil to be put away by believers Colossians 3:8.
G2906 kraugḗ (clamour): This term for "an outcry" or "tumult" describes the outward, disruptive expression that often accompanies the internal attitudes of anger and evil speaking Ephesians 4:31.
G266 hamartía (a sin): As a general term for sin, it provides a broader category for G988. The relationship is highlighted when Jesus states that all manner of sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, with one critical exception Matthew 12:31.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G988 is significant, particularly in how it defines sins of speech and attitude.

A Sin Originating from the Heart: Scripture presents blasphemy not as a spontaneous slip of the tongue, but as an overflow of a corrupt heart, placing it in the same category as other profound moral evils like murder and adultery Mark 7:22.
An Affront to Divine Authority: The most serious form of blasphemy is speech that directly challenges the honor and authority of God. This was the charge against Jesus when he claimed a divine prerogative John 10:33 and is the defining characteristic of the satanic beast in Revelation Revelation 17:3.
The Unforgivable Transgression: The concept is given its utmost gravity in the warning that while every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, "the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men" Matthew 12:31, marking it as a unique and permanent state of rebellion.

Summary

In summary, G988 blasphēmía is a powerful term that extends beyond simple profanity. It defines a range of defiant speech, from "railing" and "evil speaking" in human interactions to the ultimate transgression of vilifying God. As a sin that originates from the heart, it serves as a critical indicator of one's spiritual condition and relationship to divine authority, illustrating the profound biblical importance placed on the power of the tongue.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun and a verb across 19 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Genitive Singular Feminine 5×
Nominative Singular Feminine 4×
Accusative Plural Feminine 3×
Accusative Singular Feminine 3×
Nominative Plural Feminine 3×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 18 verses across 9 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (5 verses); never once in the other 18.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Ephesians

Colossians

1 Timothy

Jude

Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.